Robinson, Hugh
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- Robinson, Hugh
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(1756 - 96), painter; RA schools 1779; exh. RA 1780, 1782.
1787 - 96 Rome ( - by Oct. 1796)
Hugh Robinson went to Rome in the hope of establishing himself as a history painter, but in the event he was only able to enjoy a limited success in portraiture. Between 1787 and 1792 'Robinson Inglese Protestante Pittore' (aged 35 in 1787) was living on the Corso 'verso Babuino' in the house of Conte Eroli.2 In 1793 he was listed as a history painter at the 'Piazza di Spagna, Villa di Londra' (Rome Lists). Early in 1790 he was working on a Cupid and Psyche, of which he had already completed a sketch, coloured 'most beautifully', said Edward Poore, 'tho' he cd not let it remain so without adding a red petticoat to the drapery, whitewash to the skin, and some clouds cutt out of whetstone'. The same letter referred to Robinson's 'admirable' drawings, his tracings made from drawings of the Parthenon frieze done on the spot and, finally, to his 'Melancholy Sensibility'.3
Robinson had completed the Cupid and Psyche by April 1791, by which time a number of commissions from the 4th Earl of Bristol had 'ended in smoke' and Robinson was receiving such 'very severe and acrimonious' criticisms from Mrs Hare-Naylor that he begged her not to 'honour him so highly with her attention'.4 His fortunes revived with the arrival of John Penn who commissioned works5 and bought 'three old pictures' from him.6 In 1792 Robinson turned more to portraiture, Lord Dalkeith noting in April/May that he was a 'history painter who occasionally draws portraits',7 and Robert Parker (in Rome November 1792 and March 1793) annotated Robinson's name in the list of English painters in Rome as 'very good portrait [painter]'. In April 1793 Sir William Forbes was less enthusiastic; having observed that Robinson (whom he called Robertson) was then 'much employed by British Travellers' as a portrait painter, and having seen 'some strong likenesses in his workroom', he nevertheless felt that it reflected badly on 'the state of Portrait painting in Rome to find him so much imployed, if we do not lay some part of his success to National partiality, for I am positive he would appear but a very second rate painter in London'.8 In December 1793 Sarah Bentham found five portraits in his studio of distinguished sitters: the Duchess of Devonshire, Lady Elizabeth Foster, Lord Bruce, Lord Dalkeith and Brownlow North9 (none of which is now known). A portrait of Princess Sophie Albertine of Sweden said to be signed T. Robinson Rome 179310 and a water-colour of the sculptor John Deare at Nero's Tomb (priv. coll.) by 'Robinson' are both probably by him.
In April 1794 Robinson signed the letter of thanks to Prince Augustus from English artists in Rome (Rome List 1794), but little more is heard of him until Fagan's sad letter to Cumberland, written at Ariccia on 16 October 1796: 'you certainly are informed of poor Robinson's death - from different uneasinesses the first of which was that affair with Mr Poor which prayed on his mind and possibly enclined rather in his constitution he got into a consumption of which having lingered about 6 months, he dyed on his passage to England - ... he certainly promised to be a very great portrait painter - and has done laterly some exceeding fine ones'.(11)
1. Add.36494, f.283 (Irvine, 6 Mar. 1784). AVR sa, S.Andrea delle Fratte. 2. AVR sa, S.Maria del Popolo. 3. Add.36496, f.172 (12 Feb. 1790). 4. Ibid., f.307 (Irvine, 8 Apr. 1791). 5. Ibid., f.333 (Hewetson, 14 May 1791). 6. Add. 36497, f.69 (Grignion, 16 Nov. 1791). 7. Hew Dalrymple notebks., note by B. Skinner. 8. Forbes jnl.MSS (30 Apr. 1793). 9. Bentham jnl.MSS (29 Dec. 1793). 10. Exh. Pa Klassisk Mark, Stockholm [1982], no.82. 11. Add.36498, f.136.